Production Apprentice Level 3 - SAICA Paper – Find an apprenticeship

Summary

Operate and maintain the plant to ensure efficient process continuity ensuring all safety, environmental and quality regulations as established by the company are followed.

Wage

£20,000 a year

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Reviews every 6 months with salary increasing by £2000 each review if the apprentices meets al the necessary requirements both in the workplace and in college.

Training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

Hours

Shift Pattern working 4 on (2 x 12 hour days, 2 x 12 hour nights) 6 days off. If on days, Monday to Friday.

48 hours a week

Start date

Monday 14 July 2025

Duration

2 years 3 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Apprentices will receive training to carry out the following activities in all areas of the Paper Mill:

Comply with Safety, Quality and Environment regulations and company policy
Ensure good housekeeping in all production areas
Participate in the investigation of events that occur, identifying opportunities for improvements in installations/procedures and putting into practice the actions that are defined
Form part of the site emergency response team
Carry out daily Total Preventative Maintenance checks to ensure associated plant is running at its optimum and any anomalies are identified and resolved in a timely manner
Support the Level 1 Operator in performing the production programme in accordance with production targets, complying with the quality specifications set whilst achieving the greatest overall efficiency possible
Carry out plant cleaning and maintenance work during scheduled monthly, annual or general downtimes in line with the instructions of the Shift Manager
Monitor and control all aspects of the paper making process
Carry out daily work programmes as assigned by the shift manager

Where you'll work

144 Manchester Road
Carrington
Manchester
M31 4QN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

COGENT SSC LIMITED

Your training course

Process industry manufacturing technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

Review instructions or information to understand the task.
Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Check equipment.
Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
Manage waste streams.
Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
Store tools and equipment.
Identify equipment for handover.
Apply signage and access restriction measures.
Shut down the process and equipment.
Isolate process and systems.
Complete isolation checks.
Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
Line-up equipment.
Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
Complete pre-start up checks.
Start-up plant and equipment.
Re-start process.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
Interpret drawings and graphs.
Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Apply team working principles.
Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.
Review instructions or information to understand the task.
Plan tasks. Identify and organise resources with consideration for safety, environmental impact, quality, and cost.
Identify hazards and risks in the workplace and personal safety and mitigation measures.
Apply health, safety, and environmental procedures in compliance with regulations, standards, and guidance.
Follow environment emergency procedures. For example, make area safe, evacuate.
Apply sustainability principles for example, minimising waste.
Apply standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Check equipment.
Select, check, and prepare raw materials for process for example, weighing, measuring, control and blending, conditioning, dissolving, and sanitisation.
Set and adjust processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, speed or time, distance.
Monitor process for example, take readings and conduct walk-arounds.
Conduct the control of product streams to maintain specifics.
Apply quality assurance procedures. For example, density checks, contaminant check, and take samples for laboratory testing.
Apply intermediate or post-manufacturing procedure for example, labelling, packing, storage, visual inspection, discharge.
Manage waste streams.
Clean equipment for example, boil-outs, steam-outs, bake-outs, steam in place SIP, clean in place (CIP).
Conduct calculations for example, conversations, tare weight, charge weights, yield calculations.
Store tools and equipment.
Identify equipment for handover.
Apply signage and access restriction measures.
Shut down the process and equipment.
Isolate process and systems.
Complete isolation checks.
Empty equipment for example, drain, purge, vent, and de-pressure.
Purge, fill, pressurise and leak test.
Complete post maintenance equipment checks.
Line-up equipment.
Connect service connections such as water, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic for chemical or petrochemical processing.
De-isolate process, mechanical and electrical systems.
Complete pre-start up checks.
Start-up plant and equipment.
Re-start process.
Record or enter information - paper based or electronic.
Interpret data for example, process data, quality control and test procedure data.
Interpret drawings and graphs.
Identify issues for example, defects, deviations, process variance, and maintenance requirements.
Escalate issues outside limits of responsibility.
Apply problem solving and fault-finding techniques.
Apply continuous improvement techniques. Make a suggestion for improvement.
Use information and digital technology for example, management information systems, human machine interfaces, word processing, spreadsheet, email, virtual learning platforms, document sharing platforms. Comply with cyber security requirements.
Produce written documents for example, handover notes or emails, non-conformances, design change requests.
Communicate with others verbally for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
Apply team working principles.
Plan how to meet personal development needs. Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development (CPD) activities.

Your training plan

Training will be delivered online

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

5 GCSE's including Maths and English (grade 4/C or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Attention to detail
Organisation skills
Analytical skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative

Other requirements

Working will be done on shifts.

About this company

As the specialists in skills for science and technology, our purpose is to make sure your business; your people and our industry are future ready. We are a not-for-profit charitable organisation with a family of commercially focused companies committed to supporting the skills, needs and ambitions across the UK science and technology sector.

Company benefits

Holiday Allowance - 24 Days Holiday Allowance, plus Bank Holidays. Able to book 3 x floating days after 1 years’ service which increases to 6 days after 3 years’ service Pension - Employee %4.5, Employer 4.5% Enhanced Maternity/Paternity pay

After this apprenticeship

Progression to permanent Level 2 Operator which can then lead to Level 1 Operator. Following this, potential future roles could be Shift Engineer, Shift Manager or Process Engineer.

Level 2 Operator; £43,000
Level 1 Operator; £47,700
Shift Engineer; £50,000+
Shift Manager; £55,000+
Process Engineer; £50,000+

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

COGENT SSC LIMITED

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000321264.

Apply now

Closes in 12 days (Friday 6 June 2025)

When you apply, you’ll be asked to sign in with a GOV.UK One Login. You can create one at the same time as applying for this apprenticeship.

After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.

Company’s application instructions

If you are interested in this apprenticeship, please apply through the Cogent Skills Vacancies Page.

Cookies on Find an apprenticeship

Production Apprentice Level 3 - SAICA Paper

Contents